What should librarians know about copyright law?
A very brief outline of US copyright law: U.S. copyright law, http://www.loc.gov/copyright/ , provides the copyright owner exclusive rights of: • Reproduction • Adaptation • Distribution • Performance • Display Non-holders of the copyright may make fair use of a copyrighted work for “criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching….scholarship or research.” Fair use is determined by four factors: • purpose and character of the use • nature of the copyrighted work • amount and substantiality of the portion used • effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work When Works Pass into the Public Domain, http://www.unc.edu/~unclng/public-d.htm , Laura Gasaway provides a simple table that can help you determine if a copyrighted work is no longer covered by copyright restrictions.. The Canadian Intellectual Property Office, http://cipo.gc.ca/ , contains a Copyright FAQ, Guide to Copyrights, Glossary of Intellectual Property Terms, etc. In French and English.
